The Epistemology of the Truth in Modern Islam

Abstract

There is a serious problem with arguing that God intended to lock the epistemology of the seventh century into the immutable text of the Qur’an, and then intended to hold Muslims hostage to this epistemological framework for all ages to come. Among other things, this would limit the dynamism and effectiveness of Divine text because the Qur’an would be for ever locked within a knowledge paradigm that is very difficult to retrieve or re-create. The author argues for the recognition of three critical categories in Islamic theology: haqq, hikma and ma‘arifa. While haqq connotes the objective and constant truth, it is not reachable without hikma. Hikma is the balance [mizan] of truths in every historical moment with all of its contingencies. Ma’arifa is the epistemology or the way to searching the objective and constant truth as well as the search for the hikma appropriate for each stage in human consciousness. The author contends that it is contrary to the very nature of a merciful and compassionate God to leave Muslims with a Revelation that is not fully equipped to deal with the altered states of consciousness and perceptions that are inevitable in every stage of human development.

This article originally appeared in Philosophy & Social Criticism (vol. 41, Nos. 4–5), pp. 473–486, Copyright © 2015 by (Special Issue: Alessandro Ferrara , Volker Kaul , David Rasmussen (eds.), “The Sources of Pluralism – Metaphysics, Epistemology, Law and Politics. Reset-Dialogues İstanbul Seminars 2014”). Reprinted by Permission of SAGE Publications, Ltd.